Kelly and Shyla - Week 9

This week Shyla has been ridden once by Gaia (11-year-old) again and they had lots of fun on the arena cantering and jumping, everything Shyla has learnt with me she does just as well for the kids and it’s so lovely watching how easy and reliable she is with others. After a few days off we then focused on working on a soft contact. She’s now been mouthed and ridden in a bit a number of times, but on Thursday I asked her to soften to a contact for the first time, something she first found confusing but once she understood the process she was as soft as butter. She really is incredibly smart. In our two rides since she has progressed to walking and trotting on a soft contact and she is one of the lightest horses I have ever worked with.

She has mastered her downwards transitions – going from a trot or canter to a halt from the shifting of body weight, without having to touch the reins. She is also learning to reinback and sidepass which she really is becoming very soft and responsive at.